Transcript Chapter 12, Section 1: China Reunites

 Grab your clicker
 Take out your writing utensil
 Put the remainder of your materials in/under your
desk.
February 7, 2012
Today, we will be learning
about the Tang and Song
dynasties.
 A.D. 200 – Han empire
ends
 *China has no central
gov’t for 300 years
 *Warlords (military
leaders running the
government) fought each
other
 *Nomads conquered
parts of northern China
 *Koreans gained
independence from
China and built their
own civilization
 *Wendi –
 *General
 *declared emperor
 *reunited China (A.D.
581)
 *founded the Sui
dynasty
 *Yangdi – Wendi’s son.
Dreamed of expanding
China’s territory.
 Yangdi
 Achievements
 *Rebuilt the great wall
 *Building the Grand Canal
(1,000 mile waterway
linked northern, southern
China)
 *United China’s economy
(an organized way in which
people produce, sell, and
buy things)
 Yangdi
 Hardships
 *Farmers forced to work
on building projects and
pay high taxes
 *Farmers revolted, army
took over, killed Yangdi
 *End to the Sui dynasty
 *A.D. 618 – one of
Yangdi’s generals took
over
 Tang Dynasty formed
 *Last A.D. 618 – A.D.
907 Capital – Changan
 Reforms
 *Civil service exam
restored, land given to
farmers, and order in the
country side under
Taizong (most powerful
emperor)
 *Empress Wu – only
woman to rule China
alone.
 *Very forceful
 *Added more gov’t officials
 *Strengthened military
forces
 Accomplishments
 *Power regained in Asia
 *Expansion
 *Tibet invaded
 *Controlled the Silk
Road
 *Korean Kingdoms
 Forced to pay tribute
 *Took over Vietnam
 Problems
 Tang Problems
 *Turks – took over Silk
Road (damaged China’s
economy)
 *Revolts
 *Tibet
 *Farmers
 *Disorder brings down
dynasty (A.D. 907)
 Military leaders ruled
(50 yrs.)
*A.D. 960 – a general declares himself
emperor
Dynasty rules from A.D. 960-1279
Accomplishments
 *Chinese civilization
became the most
advanced in the world
 *Enlarged gov’t
bureaucracy, reformed
civil service
examination system
Problems
 *Not enough soldiers to
control the empire
 *Tibet broke away
 *Nomads took over N.
China
 Neo-Confucianism gained
favor, emphasizing
Confucian ethics, spiritual
matters
*Capital moved to Hangzhou – on the coast
near the Chang Jiang delta
 *A.D. 150 – missionaries from
India brought Buddhism to
China
 *Tang Support
 Han dynasty was weakening
 *China develops into a civil
war
 *Need for peace and comfort
 Tang rulers
 Not Buddhist, but allowed it
to be practiced.
 *Supported building of
temples
 Services
 *Ran schools
 *Room/food for travelers
 *Monks – bankers, doctors
 Haters
 *Wrong to accept $$$$
 *No marriage = no respect for
family
 *A.D. 845 – officials feared
growth of Buddhism
 monasteries & temples
destroyed
 Buddhism never recovered
 *A.D. 300 – Buddhists
bring religion to Korea
 *A.D. 600 – Korea is
united into one country
 *Buddhism grew even
stronger
 Legend of how it spread
to Japan:
 *Korea’s king wrote to
Japan’s emperor
claiming: “This religion
is the most excellent of
all teachings”
 *The letter also
contained Buddhist
writings and a stature of
the Buddha
 Confucius’ believed that
a good gov’t depended on
wise leaders
 *Civil service exams were
a product of Confucian
teachings
 *When the Han dynasty
fell it left no one to give
the exams.
 *Confucianism lost
support
 *This life is just as
important as the afterlife
 *Supported by the Tang
& Song dynasties
 *Merit system – people
accepted for their
abilities, not their
connections or wealth
 *Many considered the test
unfair because only the
wealthy could afford
tutors, and only males
could take the exams
 *Only 1 in 5 passed.
 *Scholar-officials made up
a new wealthy social class
 No physical work
 Not even taught to use
their hands